Earth is a planet born of fire.
For billions of years, volcanoes have helped create the world we know. From the continents to the air we breathe and even life itself, all have their origins in fire. These processes have created extraordinary...

Grab your mask and snorkel and come on an unforgettable adventure! Great Barrier Reef captures the natural beauty of the world’s largest living wonder and introduces us to the visionaries and citizen scientists who are helping us better understand this...

Join an immersive IMAX adventure to experience the life-saving superpowers and extraordinary bravery of some of the world's most amazing dogs. No stranger to superheroes himself, Chris Evans narrates this inspiring true story about remarkable (or is that...

The Fleet's newest exhibition, Pause|Play, is an invitation for the young and the young-at-heart to leave the digital world behind, hit pause on their busy lives and recapture the nostalgia of play. Science has shown that play has a number of cognitive,...

As Tim Gunn is fond of saying, “Make. It. Work!” And that’s the idea behind our Make-It Workshop, a creative and interactive workshop for innovators and other curious minds. We invite you to stop by Studio X (formerly Tinkering Studio) on Saturdays to...

Stay and play—and save!—until 10 p.m. on Friday nights this summer!
Bring the entire family to experience the Fleet at night! Enjoy extended evening hours at the Fleet in celebration of The Art of Summer in Balboa Park. Peruse Pause|Play late into...

Grownups! You get the science center all to yourself (no kids allowed!) to explore exhibits at a savings, enjoy an adult beverage and rock out to music on Saturday nights this summer.
Adult Recess provides your chance to take over the Fleet's...

The first Monday of every month, seniors 65 and better can enjoy the Science Center exhibits, a show in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater and a lecture on the quietest day of the month for only $10! No coupons or additional discounts are accepted. The Fleet...

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Join us on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. or 8:15 p.m. for a tour of the solar system narrated by the Fleet’s astronomer. Journey through the cosmos with us as we explore a new topic each month.
For optimal viewing, each show is...

Join us on the second weekend of each month to investigate exciting science topics. Sessions will be filled with new challenges, hands-on activities and interaction with local scientists. Throughout the year, we will explore an array of fields including...

Educator Workshop Catalog

Educator Professional Development

The Fleet Inquiry Institute provides workshops and resources to K-12 teachers, informal educators, after-school providers and the university community to enhance understanding of science inquiry and to increase awareness of science standards.

Since its inception in 2002 the Fleet Inquiry Institute has worked with over 14,000 educators in long-term, on-site and in-classroom professional development workshops.

Book a Workshop

For additional information about educator workshops or to book a workshop, please contact the Fleet Inquiry Institute:

Like a Scientist

Science Inquiry

Future Scientists

For K-8 educators seeking to enhance their skills and confidence as a science educator.

Listed as individual programs.

For K-12 educators looking to create a student-driven learning environment that is aligned with NGSS.

Listed as a three-day institute and as stand-alone programs.

Programs designed specifically for educators teaching grades K-2.

Listed as individual programs.

Act Like a Scientist and EngineerThrough exploration of Fleet exhibitions, discover NGSS science and engineering practices (SEPs) and then compare how science practices are different or are similar to engineering practices. Participants discover ways to shift science activities to engineering activities.

Think Like a Scientist View the world through the lens of science using Crosscutting Concepts. Discover how to identify science around us, both inside and outside of the science classroom. Thinking like a scientist permits an interdisciplinary approach to science education and highlights the science in every school subject.

Question? Like a Scientist

Not all questions are created equally. Some questions lead to insightful investigations while others are better suited for research. In this workshop, educators identify investigable questions through an inquiry investigation and learn ways to turn student questions to be more investigable.

Notebook Like a Scientist Improve student's scientific observation skills while creating a classroom environment that welcomes feedback, critique, and evidence-based reasoning. This workshop includes an arts component and is an opportunity to incorporate more STEAM in the classroom.

Argue! Like a ScientistDiscover strategies to enhance student arguments using claims from evidence, real data and opposing scientific views. Educators find new ways to align lessons to NGSS through science and engineering practices.

Three-Day Inquiry Institute Participants experience inquiry as a learner, examine different approaches to hands-on learning, explore science practices through phenomena, engage in full scientific inquiry, and consider ways to include inquiry in your own classroom. This three-day workshop can be offered sequentially, over several weeks, or as stand-alone programs.

Comparing Hands-On Science Approaches
Educators discover different approaches to hands-on science support different learning goals. Educators experience three different approaches and how each can be successfully deployed in the classroom.

Raising Investigable Questions
Experience the science process through phenomena and personal curiosity and then raise questions that can lead to insightful investigations. Learn pedagogy related to scanning and facilitating the turning of noninvestigable questions into deeper scientific questions.

Subtle Shifts: Adapting Activities for Inquiry
Participants work through two similar science labs and identify ways to modify existing science activities to include more inquiry. It is highly recommended that participants go through Comparing Hands-On Science Approaches and Raising Investigable Questions first.

Picture Book ScienceEncourage the integration of reading and science in an engaging way. Each workshop pairs a grade-appropriate fiction and/or non-fiction book with hands-on inquiry-driven science investigations that can be easily replicated in the classroom.

The Power of Inference in Science InquiryScience inquiry is the process of understanding the natural and material world through questions and discoveries. This workshop emphasizes the importance of inference in the science inquiry process. Participants practice making discoveries and claims based on evidence.

Observe Like a Scientist with Art and Illustrations
Increase student observation skills through a teaching strategy made popular in art galleries. Apply this teaching strategy across all disciplines, including in the science classroom.

Make, Take & Teach

Around the Park

Recurring Programs

For K-12 educators seeking enhanced content knowledge and tools to take back to their classroom. Make, Take & Teach workshops utilize the Fleet Science Center's Studio X workspace.

These workshops make use of Balboa Park and are occasionally in partnership with other Balboa Park museum and institution.

Mark your calendars K-12 educators! You can count on these programs taking place at regular intervals.

Launch the Perfect Rocket Discover how easy and fun it is to take a science inquiry approach to rocket design. Groups work together to build rockets and collect data after each launch. The class collaborates on data analysis before designing, building and launching the ultimate rocket.

Make and Take Component: Educators build and take one PVC rocket launcher and receive plans on how to duplicate the launcher for a minimal cost.

Engineering with Hydraulics
Through inquiry, educators will discover properties of air and liquid before building a robotic arm with pneumatic and hydraulic systems.

Make and Take Component: Educators build a robotic arm that operates with hydraulics.

Gravitational Wells
Conceptualize gravity using a model that can be manipulated with objects of various masses and discover interactions between masses

Make and Take Component: Educators make their own gravitational well and learn safe ways to assemble and disassemble the model.

Wave Machines
Explore wave properties through science inquiry using a hands-on wave machine. The wave machine model encourages students to observe and define wave property terminology through their own exploration while also providing ample opportunities for students to investigate "what if?" scenarios.

Make and Take Component: Educators have the option to build a wave machine suitable for small or large groups.

Schoolyard Citizen Science
Students and citizen science are a perfect fit, but where should a teacher begin with a citizen science project at their school? This workshop will highlight ongoing citizen science projects and how the citizen science process can be ported to a classroom or schoolyard.

Science in the Park
Balboa Park becomes our canvas as we discover ways to bring the outdoors into the classroom.

Coming Soon!

Teachers Eating Pizza
This astronomy and space science-themed program takes place on the first Wednesday of each month. Educators experience a new hands-on science activity each month and are offered complimentary passes to the Fleet Science Center's evening The Sky Tonight planetarium show.

Summer Films for Educators - 2018Now that the school year is reaching a conclusion, it's time to catch up all the things you didn't have time for during the school year. Start that catch-up with discounted films at the Fleet Science Center just for educators. From June - August, come for a late-afternoon film and a short film-inspired activity during the mini-workshop time.

Film titles and descriptions will be made available one month prior to film date.